On Saturday, Major League Soccer kicks off what could be its most highly anticipated campaign since David Beckham’s arrival. Commissioner Don Garber has reiterated the league’s goals of becoming one of the world’s elite leagues — both on the field and in the boardroom — within eight years. Between rapid expansion and an infusion of star power, the league is moving in that direction.

The question is — outside of the top four of England, Spain, Germany and Italy — just how far does MLS have to go to catch the rest of the world’s best leagues by 2022? And what does it have to do to get there? As with most things, the answer is simple: follow the money.

“Our ultimate goal is to become a league of choice,” said Garber, referring to not just players but advertisers and supporters. The league has rarely measured itself against other U.S. sports, rather other rival soccer leagues, and want to be one that players want to play in, fans want to tune in and businesses want to invest in.

There are plenty of well-heeled investors lining up to buy in, with the Yankees partnering with Manchester City on a $100 million purchase of the 20th expansion team, New York City FC, which opens play next season. Orlando City FC will be team No. 21, with Beckham leading a group to buy team No. 22 in Miami.

Nevertheless, while MLS has turned a corner from being a shaky investment to a solid one, now the league needs to take the next step to being a lucrative one. The bad news is that won’t come cheap. The encouraging news is the league seems to realize it.

“We’ve got to be in a situation where our clubs are making money and not losing money, so that we can continue to invest in this business and continue to build quality of play, relevance of teams and passion of our fans in a way where we ultimately achieve our goals,” Garber said.

Though MLS has been solid at the gate, surpassing the NHL and NBA for the third-highest average attendance of the major American pro leagues, television ratings are stagnant. With TV negotiations around the corner and Garber acutely aware of the need for more revenue, he insists fixing the ratings woes can be done with two steps — getting more consistent time slots and better marketing.

“In order to grow your TV ratings, you have to grow your fan base,’’ Garber said. “First we need a partner that gives us the right schedule, promotion and marketing. That’ll allow us to have our programming be valuable and be a priority both for the broadcaster and our fans. If we’re able to achieve that … our ratings will grow. What we need is a consistent game of the week. That gets us halfway there.’’

MLS has slowly, inexorably loosened the purse strings on it’s roughly $3 million salary cap, first through the Designated Player Rule — allowing teams to sign players in excess of the cap — and now allowing each team up to three such stars with most of their salary exempt from the cap.

Lately, teams are taking advantage of the freedom to invest in the product. It cost $33 million to bring Clint Dempsey to Seattle last summer, while Toronto FC splashed $100 million in salary and transfer fees to add Michael Bradley and English star Jermain Defoe even before adding Brazilian Julio Cesar.

“The league understands its time they spent more on players,’’ said LA Galaxy star Landon Donovan. “People are getting real excited about it and the product on the field has to match that excitement. I think the league understands. It should be real interesting at the new collective bargaining agreement.’’

MLS pinning its hopes on big-ticket buys would be like a baseball team swinging away on big free agents and ignoring its farm system. Two-thirds of the league’s players come from college, and with recent expansion, it must produce more talent or risk dilution.

Enter the academy system, one that costs $20 million annually and has produced the likes of New Jersey-bred World Cup hopeful Juan Agudelo.

“You have to focus on your youth, because they’re the future of the game. Period,’’ said Red Bull star Thierry Henry, with Donovan the faces of MLS. “I’ve said so many times can the salary cap be higher, can it be stopping the [designated player] thing, can it be free agency? But I understand the rules of American sports.’’

Henry came to MLS from a Barcelona team that did exactly what he suggests.

“Barcelona was struggling, say [in] 2000, and then they concentrated on youth and you get Xavi and you get [Andres] Iniesta and you get [Carles] Puyol … you get your [Lionel] Messi. I’m not having a go at anyone. But I’m just saying if you want a bright future, you need to focus on your youth.’’